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Conserving Water Pays Off

How much effort is your HOA putting into water conservation? Chances are that there’s a lot more that could be done, and the payoff for doing so would be worth the expense. Not only is conserving water the socially responsible thing to do (especially if the community is located in a state hit by drought and water shortages, where it may be required), it’s also a great way to save money.

How much money can be saved? On average, over half of household water use is for landscaping alone. Just taking steps to reduce water usage by making some alterations to the upkeep of outdoor plants and lawns can result in significant savings. And, when combined together, what may seem like insignificant measures on their own, can result in significant savings for the entire community.

Steps to Water Conservation

As mentioned above, one of the biggest uses of water in a community is maintaining outdoor landscaping. This means changes to how landscaping is managed are some of the most obvious first steps in water conservation. And, one of the most important steps to take also requires no investment, and just a small amount of time: researching the watering cycles of outdoor plants.

Many communities are actually over-watering their lawns and plants, which both wastes water and could be damaging the landscaping. By getting familiar with watering cycles, and adjusting sprinkler systems to run at only the right times for just the right amounts, is an easy water conservation step many HOAs could take resulting in a dramatic drop in water usage.

An Investment that Pays Off

Another step that can be taken is investing in smart controllers that automatically measure soil and plant characteristics, and adjust irrigation accordingly. Some models of smart controllers can even be remotely monitored over the Internet, adding an extra level of convenience.

If the HOA has already tried these steps but isn’t getting the results it wants to see, a more radical measure is to invest in Xeriscaping. This is a type of landscaping that is specifically designed to conserve water through specific plant choices, careful ground planning, and proper maintenance.

There’s even more that can be done. The community could set up a rainwater capture system. If the neighborhood has a pool or spa, invest in proper maintenance and care, and utilize any ways that water can be reused. The key to successful water conservation for the HOA is to look at the steps to be taken not as a cost, but as an investment that will pay off in savings and helping the community save and effectively use water.

To learn how an AssociationVoice webiste can help with your communities effort to conserve water, Click Here!